Halifax

After disembarking the train we found our way to the hotel in Downtown Halifax.

The had the whole following day to explore the city. We started by heading for the Citadel – looking back on our hotel from the road leading up to the Fort.

The entrance through the thick stone walls of the fort.

Originally built to protect Halifax from invasion from the French Acadians the Citadel site has been rebuilt four times over the years.  What remains now has been restored to it’s Victorian era style.

An assortment of ‘re-enactments’ are provided throughout the Citadel, unfortunately including the opportunity to wear the uniforms of the day and be publically humiliated by the ‘guards’

Views around the Citadel site

The gun powder store

Sleeping quarters

After exploring the buildings and rooms on display we walked the perimeter walls of the fort.

Then we headed back down the hill towards Downtown, passing the Town Clock.  The Halifax Town Clock was commissioned in 1800 by Prince Edward, Duke of Kent, then commissioner-in-chief of the military in British North America.  Apparently he insisted on the clock being built to resolve the ‘tardiness’ of the garrison.

A little further down the hill we come to Halifax City Hall built between 1887 and 1890. The clock tower faces North and South.  On the North side clock has stood still at 09.04 to commemorate the Halifax Explosion of 1917 which killed 1600 people and injured a further 9000.

The City Hall building faces Grand Parade which is a military parade square created during the founding of Halifax in 1747.  Also in Grand Parade is the War Memorial.

We continue our walk down to the waterfront where we catch the ferry across the bay to Dartmouth.  Here, views back to Downtown Halifax from the ferry.

Mum, Dad and I on the ferry.

Our destination on the ferry, Dartmouth.

Views up Bedford Basin towards Macdonald Bridge.

The Halifax – Dartmouth ferry

Halifax waterfront

Georges Island

Pier 21 is the Canadian Museum of Immigration

Statue of Samuel Cunard who founded the Cunard Line shipping company and was a Halifax resident.

The Downtown area of Halifax has a number of preserved older buildings both commercial and residential such as these old row houses.

Downtown skyline from our hotel rooftop patio, seen here in the middle (red brick building with yellow woodwork) the Wooden Monkey restaurant where we had dinner on our first evening and was excellent !